According to one recent survey, nearly 30% of people have gone more than ten years without getting a hearing test. Sofia is one of them. She knows to have her oil changed every 3000 miles, she has a checkup with the dentist every six months, and she checks in dutifully for her yearly medical examination. But she hasn’t had a hearing exam in a long time.
Hearing tests are beneficial for a wide range of reasons, the most notable of which is that it’s often hard for you to notice the initial signs of hearing loss without one. Knowing how frequently she should get a hearing test will help Sofia keep her ears (and hearing) as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
How Often Do You Need to Get a Hearing Examination?
If the last time Sofia took a hearing examination was a decade ago, we may be concerned. Or maybe it doesn’t phase us. Our reaction, and the reaction of her hearing specialist, most likely will vary depending on her age. That’s because hearing specialists have different guidelines based on age.
- If you’re older than fifty: But if you’re above the age of fifty, the recommendation is, you get a hearing test every year. As you age, the noise damage you’ve incurred over a lifetime can begin to speed up, meaning loss of hearing is more likely to begin affecting your life. There are also numerous other factors that can impact your hearing.
- It’s generally recommended that you take a hearing exam every three years or so. Obviously, if you feel you should get your hearing tested more frequently, that’s also fine. The very least is every three years. You should absolutely get tested more frequently if you are frequently in a noisy setting. It’s easy and painless and there’s really no reason not to get it done.
When it comes to your hearing, more often is absolutely better. Since the last time you had a hearing test, you might have new damage you should know about, so regular hearing tests may be helpful.
Signs You Should Get Your Hearing Checked
There are undoubtedly other times besides your annual hearing exam that you may want to make an appointment with your hearing specialist. Sometimes, you start to notice some symptoms of hearing loss. And in those cases, it’s typically a good idea to immediately get in touch with a hearing specialist and schedule a hearing exam.
Some of the signs that might prompt you to get a hearing test could include:
- Cranking your music to excessively high volumes (if your neighbors start complaining, that’s a good indication you should see a hearing specialist right away).
- Sounds seem muffled; it starts to sound as if you constantly have water in your ears.
- Phone interactions are always tough to understand
- Having a hard time hearing consonants (generally, consonants are spoken in a higher wavelength than vowels, and it’s those high-frequency sounds that are generally the first to go as hearing loss sets in)
- When you’re in a noisy environment, you have trouble hearing conversations.
- Continually asking people to repeat themselves or slow down during a conversation.
A good indication that right now is the best time to get a hearing exam is when the warning signs begin to accumulate. You need to know what’s going on with your hearing and that means having a hearing test as soon as possible.
What Are The Benefits of Hearing Testing?
Sophia may be late for her hearing exam for many reasons. Maybe she hasn’t considered it. Possibly thinking about it is something she’s just avoiding. But getting your hearing checked on the recommended schedule has actual advantages.
Even when your hearing is totally healthy, a hearing test can help set a standard reading, which makes deviations in the future simpler to detect. If you identify your hearing loss before it becomes noticeable, you’ll be able to protect it better.
The point of regular hearing testing is that somebody like Sofia will be in a position to detect issues before her hearing is permanently diminished. Early diagnosis by a hearing test can help your hearing stay healthy for a long time. Thinking about the impact of hearing loss on your overall health, that’s important.